TV Ratings: Fox News Dominates During The Week

During the week of February 17-23, FOX News Channel (FNC) led all of cable news while controlling the top 836 cable news telecasts post-election. 

Ratings Graphics Courtesy of RoadMN

In primetime (8-11 PM/ET), FNC scored 3.2 million viewers and 378,000 in the 25-54 demo. In total day (6AM-6 AM/ET), FNC posted 2 million viewers and 244,000 in the 25-54 demo. The Five was the most-watched show in cable news with 4.6 million viewers and reached over 4 million viewers for the 14th consecutive week. 

During the week, The Five averaged 4.6 million viewers and 463,000 in the 25-54 demo, leading cable news across the board. At 6 PM/ET, Special Report with Bret Baier drew 3.5 million viewers and 385,000 in the 25-54 demo. The Ingraham Angle saw 3.3 million viewers and 374,000 in the 25-54 demo at 7 PM/ET. At 8 PM/ET, Jesse Watters Primetime delivered 4.1 million viewers and 466,000 in the 25-54 demo. At 9 PM/ET, Hannity posted 4 million viewers and 517,000 with A25-54. At 11 PM/ET, FOX News @ Night secured 1.8 million viewers and 266,000 in the 25-54 demo.

FNC’s The Will Cain Show continued to excel at 4 PM/ET delivering 2.7 million viewers and 336,000 in the 25-54 demo. The program was up 92% with viewers and 130% with the 25-54 demo, as compared to the same week in 2024.

At 10 PM/ET, FNC’s late-night offering Gutfeld! secured 3.3 million viewers and 425,000 with A25-54. Gutfeld! once again topped CBS’ Late Show with Stephen Colbert (2,115,000 viewers; 308,000 A25-54). 

FNC continued to see a number of its daytime programs outpace the broadcast competition with Harris Faulkner’s The Faulkner Focus (weekdays, 11 AM/ET; 2,465,000 viewers), Outnumbered (weekdays, 12-1 PM/ET; 2,461,000 viewers), America Reports (weekdays, 1-3 PM/ET; 2,436,000 viewers), The Story with Martha MacCallum (weekdays, 3 PM/ET; 2,347,000 viewers) and America’s Newsroom (weekdays, 9-11 AM/ET; 2,319,000 viewers) outpacing NBC’s Today Third Hour (2,018,000 viewers), ABC’s GMA3 (1,495,000 viewers), NBC’s Today Jenna & Friends (1,367,000 viewers) and NBC News Daily (1,350,000 viewers) with viewers.  

On Saturday: Lara Trump’s new weekend opinion program My View with Lara Trump delivered 2.4 million viewers and 290,000 A25-54, dominating cable and ending as the most-watched program of the weekend. The Big Weekend Show (weekends, 6-8 PM/ET) drew in 1.9 million viewers and 204,000 in the 25-54 demo. Life, Liberty & Levin (Saturday, 8 PM/ET) nabbed 1.8 million viewers.

On Sunday: One Nation with Brian Kilmeade (Sunday, 10 PM/ET) premiered in its new timeslot and garnered 1.8 million viewers and 258,000 A25-54, growing the hour 70% with viewers and 124% with the younger demo versus the 2024 average. Maria Bartiromo’s Sunday Morning Futures was the top show of the day with 2.2 million viewers and 256,000 in the 25-54 demo. Howard Kurtz’s MediaBuzz (Sunday, 11 AM/ET) drew in 1.7 million viewers and 183,000 in the 25-54 demo.

Source: Nielsen. Live+SD. Week of 2-17-25 ratings data. Average audience for cable news networks Monday-Sunday based on Total Day and Prime (6a-6a, 8P-11P), P2+, P25-54, P18-49. Cable News/Broadcast Program averages exclude repeats and include the corresponding program name.

📺BROADCAST EVENING NEWS

“World News Tonight with David Muir” ranked as the No. 1 program of the week in Total Viewers (8.308 million) on all of broadcast and cable (excluding sports) during the week of Feb. 17, 2025, based on Live+Same Day Data from Nielsen Media Research.

• “World News Tonight” stood as the evening’s No. 1 newscast in all of broadcast and cable in Total Viewers (8.308 million), Adults 25-54 (1.150 million) and Adults 18-49 (794,000), outperforming “NBC Nightly News” (6.692 million, 1.021 million and 643,000, respectively) by 1.616 million Total Viewers, by 129,000 Adults 25-54 and by 151,000 Adults 18-49.
• For the fourth consecutive week, “World News Tonight” grew its Total Viewer lead over “NBC Nightly News” both week to week (+4% – 1.616 million vs. 1.557 million) and year to year (+31% – 1.616 million vs. 1.230 million). In addition, “World News Tonight” turned in its largest overall viewer lead over the NBC program in nearly 6 months — since w/o 8/26/24.
• For the third straight week, “World News Tonight” improved on the same week last year in Total Viewers (+7%/+516,000 – 8.308 million vs. 7.792 million), Adults 25-54 (+9%/+96,000 – 1.150 million vs. 1.054 million) and Adults 18-49 (+15%/+103,000 – 794,000 vs. 691,000).

• For the week, “World News Tonight” (8.308 million, 1.150 million and 643,000, respectively) beat “CBS Evening News” (4.639 million, 638,000 and 440,000, respectively) by 3.669 million Total Viewers, by 512,000 Adults 25-54 and by 354,000 Adults 18-49.

After three weeks of trending downwards, the CBS Evening News moved the ratings needle upwards during the week of Feb. 17. TV Newser reports the reimagined newscast recorded gains in total viewers and the Adults 25-54 demo for the first time since its revamp.

To make things even sweeter, it was the only evening news broadcast to record week-to-week gains in both measured categories. In recent weeks, CBS News has made minor changes to the show’s style, which could indicate that viewers are responding positively to the changes.

Year-to-year, though, the CBS Evening News continued to see no viewership growth in total viewers or the demo.

CBS Evening News had 4.639 million total viewers and 638,000 viewers in the demo for gains of +4% and +1%, respectively. Looking at its year-ago numbers, it was down by -3% in total viewers and -4% in the demo.

 📺TV SHOW RATINGS RANKER

Ranking is based on ratings data as of Thursday, February 20, 2025. The audience figures are derived from the latest Nielsen daily, weekly, or monthly P2+ program audience averages, whichever is the most recently available within the past seven-day window. Please note that some shows may not appear in the ranking probably because there are no ratings data for them within the stipulated period.

“Saturday Night Live” has been celebrating its 50th anniversary all season long, Valentine’s Day weekend was when the show threw a real party. Five decades of comedy legends gathered in 30 Rock for the “SNL50: The Anniversary Special” on Sunday night, Feb. 16, and that drew enough viewers to top this week’s chart. 

In fact, viewers were so eager to see cast members from decades past that “SNL50: The Red Carpet” made the chart, coming in at No. 2. Meanwhile, “Ladies and Gentlmen… 50 Years of SNL Music,” a documentary about the show’s musical guests throughout the years, comes in at No. 4 this week. 

Courtesy of Wrap PRO

Wedged into the “SNL” sandwich is “The Voice,” relegated to No. 3 this week by its fellow NBC favorites.

But wait, “SNL” isn’t the only quinquagenarian with three programs on this week’s chart. “Wheel of Fortune,” which is older than “SNL” by a month, holds spots No. 6 through No. 8 this week.

Rounding out the rest of the chart is “FBI” at No. 5, “Tracker” at No. 9, and “Family Guy” at No. 10.